[Leica] Neopan 400 vs. delta 400 in Xtol

[scott at adrenaline.com (Scott McLoughlin)]

Mark,

Thanks for the blow by blow.  I've been shooting some Delta 100 lately and
have been pretty happy with it. I shot some TMZ a year ago, and discovered
first hand what folks were talking about fussy exposure and development.
Delta 100 seems to give nice results without too much fuss.

I have some Acros in the freezer, but haven't had the time to take it 
out and do
it justice. But I look forward to it.

My question is what is shooting Delta 400 like in a common "street shooting"
or "casual shooting" kind of mode.  Here I mostly use HP5+ at 320 or 800
currently. But I'm happy enough with the Delta 100, that I wonder if the
Delta 400 is forgiving enough for "casual" or "quick" shooting duty.

BTW, shot a bit of Neopan.  At the time it was a good value in a 400 speed
film. But then I really glommed onto the HP5+  and HC 110 (H) combo. But
if Delta 100 could give better enlargements, it would be worth whirl.

Thanks!

Scott

Mark Rabiner wrote:

>I went from Tri x to Delta 400 in December 1999 both in Xtol 1:3 which I was
>then just starting to use.
>
>With 11x14 darkroom fiber prints my Tri x looked in grain and sharpness like
>what you'd think a 250 ISO film if they made one would in D76 1:1.
>That's how I gage quality, from that norm.
>
>When I tried out and then switched to Delta 400, a tab grain film the
>results were as I suspected from what I'd seen from the tab grained Tmax 400
>in Xtol 1:3.
>The results were much better to the tune of twice or double.
>A real Academy Award winner. (which tab grain films for Kodak I think was)
>Tri x is much different now I hear. But the grain had not gone "tab".
>
>11x14 darkroom fiber prints with Delta 400 in Xtol 1:3 looks to me like an
>ISO 150 film in D76 1:1.
>It looked in other words like what I've been used to seeing in medium speed
>film quality. 
>Plus-x, fp4 and so on. Darned close.
>Did not look like the 400's - (high speed) films.
>
>After a year or so as the 2000's started of shooting the new Neopan Acros
>(100) in the Studio and Neopan 1600 for street shooting or some location
>commercial work I tried out the Neopan 400 in Xtol, a non tab grain film to
>see how it would stand up and was surprised that it more than held it's own
>against the Delta 400. It was close. Not a clear winner. Not a clear looser.
>Looked richer maybe. Not less sharp like I'd thought. Close.
>So I switched to the Neopan in 400 making myself an official full gamut
>Neopan shooter. With green baseball hat and suspenders. And a free
>subscription to Neopan Manga comic books.
>That and three bucks buys me caf? mocha from Starbucks, another green label
>company that makes a lot of money.
>
>My times with Delta 400 in Xtol 1:3 at 70 degrees with agitation on the
>minute in normal metal tanks were pretty much the same as my Neopan 400.
>Around 16 - 17 minutes. Just a tad longer than my attention span.
>
>
>
>
>
>Mark Rabiner
>Photography
>Portland Oregon
>http://rabinergroup.com/
>
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